Meeting between Prime Minister Abe and Mr. Bensalah, President of the Council of the Nation of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria

On May 31, for 15 minutes from 5:30 pm, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had a meeting with H.E. Mr. Abdelkader Bensalah, President of the Council of the Nation of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, in Yokohama. The following is the gist of the meeting. President Bensalah is visiting Japan to participate in the Fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD V) held in Yokohama from June 1 to 3.

1. At the beginning of the meeting, Prime Minister Abe reiterated firm condemnation of the terrorism incident in Algeria, and he expressed his intention to implement measures to fight against terrorism in cooperation with the international community, including Algeria. In response, Mr. Bensalah, President of the Council of the Nation of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, extended his deep condolence for the victims of the incident and expressed heartfelt condolence to the family of the victims as well as the entire Japanese people. Moreover, he expressed his gratitude for Japan’s engagement in the fight against terrorism and the understanding shown by Japan toward Algeria’s position.

2. Prime Minister Abe appreciated the word of condolence of Mr. Bensalah, and requested to share information on the investigation of the terrorism incident, to ensure safety of Japanese nationals and Japanese enterprises in Algeria and to provide information on public security and terrorism. He also conveyed that Japan has newly decided to support Algeria’s fight against terrorism. Prime Minister Abe expressed his expectation to continue cooperation for maintenance and enhancement of political and economic relationships between the two countries in order to overcome challenges after the terrorism incident. In response, President Bensalah said that the investigation of the incident is continuing and that the results shall be delivered to Japan upon its completion. He added that he dedicated all his strength to secure safety of Japanese people in Algeria and promote cooperation between authorities of the two countries regarding information sharing on terrorism，and expressed appreciation for the assistance toward anti-terrorism measures in Algeria,

3. The two parties also exchanged opinions on cooperation in the international arena, including development in Africa.